Never Let Go
by TheOneNicoCaredForMostPercy
Summary: When Percy offered to teach Nico how to swim, he never thought it would lead to the boy he had loved for forever holding him in his arms in the middle of the ocean, confessing his love.


Days like this, with the sun burning down on the camp, the wind cool and lifesaving, the camp was more alive than ever.

The arenas were filled to the max with the Ares kids, the Apollo campers were all at the archery, the Demeter children were tending to their gardens of vegetables and flowers, Hermes were running around as they do, pick pocketing innocent things and hiding them, annoying the other campers to the best of their abilities. Annabeth's siblings where longing on the porch of the Athena cabin or under trees, heads stuffed in books, or making motels of buildings with glue or toothpicks.

Annabeth herself was hanging out with Piper, since the two of them had started dating a few weeks ago after Jason had broken up with Piper and then Annabeth had broken up with Percy.

Jason was now dating Leo, and they were in Bunker Nine at the moment doing gods knows what.

Nico was sitting on the porch of the Hades cabin, missing Hazel who was in New Rome with Frank, they had moved back there a month ago, they visited, but sometimes it just wasn't enough for Nico, especially because Jason had convinced him to take up permanent residence at Camp Half-Blood.

Nico got up, and pulled his black shorts up into place.

So he began to walk, and somehow he found himself down by the beach which he thought was empty at first until he saw a head bob up about twenty yards in, when he recognized who it was he blushed and went to run up the sand dunes but Percy saw him and called out his name.

He turned, his back stiff.

Holy gods of Olympus.

Percy made his way out of the water, black hair pushed back out of his face to reveal eyes that matched the sea behind him, face tanned to perfection, smiling largely at him, chest covered slicked with water, little droplets running down his torso.

Oh my Hades

Poseidon needed to stop making his children gorgeous because no.

Nico felt like his heart was about to ripe out of his chest and fall to the sandy floor for both him and Percy to stare at.

"Hey, what are you up too?"

"Nothing." Nico muttered, trying not to stare into Percy's friendly eyes.

"Nothing dark and mysterious to get up too?" Percy teased.

"Not really." Nico muttered.

"Great! Then you can come swimming with me then!" Percy grabbed his hand and his heart stopped.

Until he realized what Percy had said and he dug his heels into the sand, forcing Percy to stop, turning around and frowning.

"What's wrong?"

Nico muttered.

"Come again?" Percy said.

Nico muttered again.

"Nico I can't-"

"I CANT SWIM!" Nico finally said, not being able to handle Percy's kind prompting any longer, he looked up into the sea green eyes he was constantly memorized by, his heart pounding nervously in his chest, waiting for Percy to laugh at him.

"You what?"

"I…I can't swim. My…my mother didn't like me and Bianca near the water, so we never…." He trailed off, looking down at his feet and kicking up sand.

Percy was quiet for so long that Nico was forced to look up at him to see what the matter was. Percy was looking at him, grinning widely, eyes sparkling.

"Well I guess' I'll just have to teach you then."

Nico barely had time to say something along the lines of 'what the hades' before Percy was yanking up his shirt and throwing it onto the sand, Percy then made him sit on the ground and took off his shoes and his shorts, just to leave him in his black boxer briefs. Nico couldn't even breath, this was every fantasy he had every basically had about Percy, except Percy stopped at the underwear and pulled him back up and started leading him to the water. Nico literally could not even comprehend what just happened, he stared at his clothes on the beach and then at Percy, like how the fuck did he do that in the time of thirty seconds.

Then his feet touched the water, and he shrieked and backed up.

"What?" Percy laughed. "It's just water."

"Says the prince of the sea." Nico mutters.

"I go by Lord actually, but Prince is good too." Percy teased him. "Thought I'm nothing compared to the King."

Nico blushed to his own annoyance, Percy was just teasing, he wasn't giving him a compliment. Nope nope, shut up heart, shut up.

"Shut it." He blushed.

Percy grinned, he stepped into the shallows and sat down in the water, and then instructed Nico to do the same. Nico nervously sat in the water, letting it wash over his thighs and pool around his lower back and stomach.

"You have to get used to the water, you can't learn to swim if you're scared of the water."

Nico nodded nervously, letting his hands run over the water top, the coldness wrapping around his fingers.

"You know my dad isn't like gonna drown you or anything, he's not Zeus." There was a loud clap of thunder above their heads and a gentle, caressing wave splashed Percy in the face.

Like _Percy I love you but I don't wanna deal with your uncle_

Percy grinned and patted the water like it was his dad's shoulder or something. He looked back at Nico who was laying down in the shallows, his bed and back above water, resting his cheek against the top of the water, caressing his face gently.

"See my dad likes you." Percy said.

The water rippled over Nico's head and went down his back gently, as if his dad was approving what he had said. Percy chuckled.

"Okay dad, leave us alone." He instructed.

Nico turned onto his back, only his head sticking out of the water, his back against cold sand that made him itchy and comforted him all at the same time.

Percy grabbed his ankle and hauled him threw the shadows before tugging him into his lap, Nico blushed a deep red, trying to hide it with his hair. Percy didn't seem to notice as he willed them deeper into the waters, he stopped when it was up to Nico's neck sitting down.

"Paddle." Percy said.

Nico put his hands out and paddled like a dog, and then Percy pushed him off his lap so he laid on his knees as he paddled slowly threw the shallows.

"I don't think this is how you swim," Nico said after some time, feeling ridiculous.

"It's just to get used to the water." Percy said. He then helped Nico to his feet and took his hand tightly. Nico's heart leapt and he yelled at it. Stupid heart, stop having feelings damn you.

Percy held his hand tightly, they were warm and strong, and it made him feel safe and comfortable as he tread deeper into unknown territory.

Percy led them until the water was up to Nico's chest; Percy took both his hands in his and stared warmly into his eyes.

"If you go under, the first thing you need to know is to never panic, that makes you go down quicker , and remember I'm right here, and you'd be pretty damn unlucky to drown with Poseidon on your side."

Percy then led him deeper into the water, still holding his hand, until he had to stand on his tip toes to keep his face above water, he was panicking inside, the one thing Percy told him not to do, but then Percy drew him close to him, holding him so his feet where no longer touching the ground.

"I'll never let you go." Percy murmured, looking deeply into his eyes.

Nico flushed and looked away; reminding himself that Percy didn't feel that way about him and never would. Percy was a loyal idiot who would never let one of his friends gets hurt, that was all it was. That's all it would ever be.

"Now, I want you to practice moving your arms and kicking your feet while I hold your waist." Percy grabbed both sides of his waist.

Nico nervously did as told, for a moment losing balance and feeling like he was going to go under.

"Percy!" he gasped.

"I've got you." Percy muttered, holding him tighter.

He started moving slowly backwards deeper into the world until the water was up to Percy's chin and he knew if he tried to find the bottom he wouldn't be able too, Nico took a deep breath trying not to panic, because he knew he would slip up and lose balance.

He kicked his legs in the sea, his stomach pressed into Percy's as he had given up on moving his legs, Percy was kicking his legs instead of using his powers to just make himself stay up. Every once and a while there legs would touch each other's and Nico would shiver, not from cold, the water was warm, and he knew Percy must have been doing that.

Percy went farther and farther until when Nico turned he could no longer see the beach, like they were smack down in the middle of the beaches of Long Island and Connecticut. Frightened at the thought of being out so far, he wrapped his arms around Percy, and Percy tightened his hold on him.

"I'm scared." He muttered into Percy's chest, and his face tightened remembering when he told Percy that the first time they had met. Percy had protected him then and he knew he would do the same now.

"I've got you." Percy repeated. "I'll never let you go."

Nico's eyes filled with tears, wishing that that was true. That Percy would hold him forever, always keep him safe.

Percy hide his face into Nico's black hair and he gulped, willing himself not to feel all the things that were pounding threw his heart. Pain, happiness, bitterness, longing, fear.

"I love you." Percy muttered.

Nico reeled back so fast he almost slipped under, by Percy grabbed his arm and hauled him back into his arms.

"Percy -"

"Jason told me," Percy whispered, lips on his forehead, the water felt unusually warm for being so far deep within the water, he didn't know for sure but it was like the water temperature was radiating Percy's feelings, warm and fuzzy. "What happened in Croatia." Percy nuzzled his cheek, and then looked up when he felt the salty wetness on his cheek.

Percy kissed the tear that was forming at the corner of Nico's eye. "I love you," Percy muttered against his cheek. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"Percy don't say it if you don't mean it." Nico said, looking away from him, eyes filled.

Percy grabbed his face and made him stare into his eyes. Sea green and chocolate brown. "I mean it, I mean it." Percy promised, and then he kissed Nico's warm lips.

It left Nico breathless, it was his first kiss, and he couldn't have imagined being any more…perfect. He had always wanted it like this, in Percy's arms, Percy's lips on his, Percy, Percy, everything Percy. It always had been and always would be Percy.

"I don't ever wanna let you go." Percy muttered against his lips.

"Then don't." he wrapped his arms around Percy' s neck and pleated into his neck. "Please don't ever.

**So yeah this was supposed to be a Percy teaching Nico how to swim fic and then it turned into this. I actually liked how it turned out. Feedback would be lovely.**

**Lots of Love,**

**Sarah**

**PS. I'm thinking about writing a kind of sequel to this, it would be smut but it would be months later when Nico's finally ready to have sex. And it would be beach related. So let me know if you're interested in that.**


End file.
